The BEST reason ever not to eat at an event!
If nothing else will convince you why you shouldn't eat at your next event, maybe this will.....
I normally don't like to eat at events because eating at an event where you are being paid to work does contribute to the loss of your credibility as a performer and as a professional when you sit and dine with the guests at the event. It also takes you away from your job leaving the music "just playing" while you eat.
During this time you should be interacting with guests, taking requests, paying close attention to who in the crowd seem like they will be fun, dancers and real party people and who are the ones you may have to work a little harder with to have a good time.
There's more to dinner music then just letting Kenny G play. There will be toasts, important announcements; special moments being created that can be worked into the dance portion of the evening.
I recently did a Banquet reception for a local city Volunteer Fire Department. The majority of the evening was playing background music before and during dinner followed by sound reinforcement for the awards being presented and then a Hypnotist doing his act.
The last two hours (already late into the evening) was myself doing a dance portion for them.
I decided that since it was going to be several hours before my dance portion to take up the event coordinators kindness and eat with the group. I got to sit with the mayor of the city and other important political dignitaries, how could I pass on that?
I ate dinner and the night went as scheduled and all had a great time. During the dance they brought out sandwiches and snacks for the guests to help control the drinking on an empty stomach problem and curb possibilities of being arrested for a D.W.I.
While I was tearing down the manager of the location offered me the three last croissant sandwiches and since I was so hungry, decided to eat them while I packed up.
I only lived a few minutes from the location and was home and in bed quickly. It didn't take long before I was awoken from a horrible feeling in my body.
To save you the gross details, I'll just say that I spent the next four hours sitting on and hugging the toilet. When this finished I was dehydrated and suffering from extreme chills.
Even in bed with extra covers and the heat turned up I could not stop shaking. My wife filled our soaking tub with hot water and after some time in the tub the chills finally stopped but the vomiting began again.
After looking the symptoms up on the internet it turned out to be a severe case of FOOD POISONING that I was suffering from.
It took three more days before I was feeling anywhere back to my normal self.
I was lucky that the effects started after I was home and not during the middle of my performance because the show would not have gone on.
I have entertained at other parties where I did not eat the food and unfortunately the Bridal Couple and most of the guests did get sick from the food being under cooked or have a virus of sorts passed on from one of the cooks or wait staff.
Just another great reason NOT TO EAT at your events.
Jeff Richards: Party Time Productions